Lois Lowry author page

Lois Lowry biography

Lois Lowry is an American author renowned for her contributions to children’s and young adult literature. She has written over 50 books, including Number the Stars (1989) and The Giver (1993), both of which received the Newbery Medal. Her work often explores complex themes such as memory, identity, and human connection.

Born Lois Ann Hammersberg on March 20, 1937, in Honolulu, Hawaii, she was the middle child of an army dentist and a kindergarten teacher. Due to her father’s military assignments, Lowry’s family moved frequently, living in various locations including Brooklyn, New York, and Tokyo, Japan. She began reading at an early age and knew by the age of eight or nine that she wanted to become a writer.

Lowry attended Brown University but left during her sophomore year to marry naval officer Donald Lowry. They had four children and lived in several states before settling in Maine. After her children grew older, she completed her bachelor’s degree in English literature at the University of Southern Maine and pursued graduate studies there. She began her writing career as a freelance journalist and photographer.

Her first novel, A Summer to Die (1977), was inspired by the death of her sister and marked the beginning of her exploration into themes of loss and family dynamics. She gained widespread acclaim with Number the Stars, a historical novel about the Danish resistance during World War II, and The Giver, a dystopian tale that has become a staple in middle school curricula.

In addition to her Newbery Medals, Lowry has received numerous honors, including the Margaret A. Edwards Award in 2007 for her significant and lasting contribution to young adult literature. Her books have been translated into more than thirty languages, and she continues to write and speak about the importance of literature in exploring the human experience.